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Author Topic:  Anyone use a COMPRESSOR?? Chime in!!!
Dave Mudgett


From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
Post  Posted 6 Jan 2009 12:48 pm    
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I've used compressors both before and after the volume pedal. For buffering, I think it's best to use it before the volume pedal, but it's not exactly convenient. For the other uses, I think I prefer it after the volume pedal since I generally only want compression to kick in when I'm pushing hard - that's just a personal preference. So if I get enough clarity after the volume pedal, that's where I usually put it.

Beyond that, I definitely put a compressor first in any effects chain. One big issue is that it tends to raise the noise floor of anything in front of it. But I also prefer the sound that way.
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Dennis Mike

 

From:
Wilson, New York, USA
Post  Posted 24 Dec 2015 10:07 am     Gary Morse using Keeley Compressor
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Here's a great video of Gary Morse discussing his rig, including his use of the Keeley compressor (0:17). I'd sure like to know what his settings are and/or when he uses it and when he doesn't. Anybody know

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLyOJdFZshc

Dennis
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Ken Metcalf


From:
San Antonio Texas USA
Post  Posted 27 Dec 2015 4:30 pm    
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I don't use a compressor on my steel but I like the Tone press compressor for Telecaster because it is a parallel compressor.
That means it has 2 channels one uneffected and one compressed with a balance knob between. This gives compression with out changing the tone much.
That being said the best compressed sound that I have gotten on PSG is by using an XR-16 pick-up which I have in my Carter U-12.
Mileage may very.
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Daryl Thisdelle

 

From:
New Brunswick, Canada
Post  Posted 27 Dec 2015 6:31 pm     Compressor
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I use a Diamond Compressor on my set up and I really like what it does to the sound. Every thing is a much more of a controlled sound. It is what I like so I use it. Others have different ideas on what sounds good to them, I like the sound a compressor gives you. A little goes a long way. Allot goes even further.. All depends what you are trying to achieve.

Daryl
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Robert Parent

 

From:
Gillette, WY
Post  Posted 28 Dec 2015 4:23 am    
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I used a DBX 163x for many years and it worked great.

Robert
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Len Amaral

 

From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
Post  Posted 29 Dec 2015 3:43 pm    
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Since I read this post I decided to plug in my Boss CS-3 pedal compressor. It sounds very good but the volume pedal is not responsive as someone mentioned. Interesting 😎
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Georg Sørtun


From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
Post  Posted 29 Dec 2015 4:20 pm    
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Have had a BOSS LMB-3 (made for bass guitar) as permanent first-stage - pre VP - buffer / tone-control / enhancer / sustainer for the last 8 years or so, and am totally happy with it.
It was/is the only stomp-box size "compressor" I could find on the market that sounds (in A/B tests) as if it is totally transparent when set for "light" to "moderate" action, and that doesn't destroy the attack-sound or instrument-tone even when set for "hard" action.

The LMB-3 makes for an excellent "1Mohm in / 100ohm out" buffer - when that is all I need, and as I gave it a leg-mount it provides me with the only sensitivity and tone control I need when the power-amp's master volume is set about right for the venue.
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Karen Sarkisian


From:
Boston, MA, USA
Post  Posted 29 Dec 2015 4:32 pm     Re: Gary Morse using Keeley Compressor
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Dennis Mike wrote:
Here's a great video of Gary Morse discussing his rig, including his use of the Keeley compressor (0:17). I'd sure like to know what his settings are and/or when he uses it and when he doesn't. Anybody know

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLyOJdFZshc

Dennis


Gary mentioned in an old post that he uses a 2 knob Keeley after the volume pedal. inside settings stock, sustain at 10 oclock, Level at 9 oclock for Brooks and Dunn record.

I have a Wampler ego compressor that I sometimes use. I like that I can blend in the compressed signal, and adjust the attack. I think it sweetens the tone a bit and evens things out, but currently I am trying to ween myself off compressors.
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Tommy Shown

 

From:
Denham Springs, La.
Post  Posted 6 Jan 2016 9:41 pm    
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I have compression on my Pro Fex. I don't use it because it tends to thin out tone. I like a fat, rich, mellow, warm tone. And although the compressor can clean things up, at the same time it can thin the tone out too, I use reverb, delay. and chorus. sometimes I use reverb and delay together. Sometimes I use them separately. Just depends on what I want to put in the song I am playing, at that time.
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Chris Walke

 

From:
St Charles, IL
Post  Posted 7 Jan 2016 10:32 am     Re: Compressor
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Daryl Thisdelle wrote:
I use a Diamond Compressor on my set up and I really like what it does to the sound. Every thing is a much more of a controlled sound. It is what I like so I use it. Others have different ideas on what sounds good to them, I like the sound a compressor gives you. A little goes a long way. Allot goes even further.. All depends what you are trying to achieve.

Daryl


I use a Mooer Yellow Comp, which is a Diamond clone. After using a Boss compressor for years & years (for lead guitar), it was amazing to hear a comp pedal that did not squish my tone & attack.

I don't know what compression ratio it is set to, but I do love that blend knob. Keeps things from getting overly compressed.
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Stephen Williams

 

From:
from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2016 4:16 pm    
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Loved compressors ever since I had the grey Ross. Now there are a million and one choices and it's very difficult to hear the differences on You tube videos.

There is the philosopher King by pigtronix which sounds intrigueing. it has a full ADSR adjustable envelope. so I guess you won't lose the attack. Re Blend knob.....You could split signal at psg and have dry sound and blend with compressed sound.

Wouldn't it be great to try out pedals/Fx on line? I mean send a file and have someone feed it into the box you are interested in. Alter knobs in real time or record it. The trick would be to have the dry sound at exactly the same volume as the effected sound. I imagine if it cost $5 to check out a box that you would never ever see in your local store it could be useful. Business idea?
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Phillip Broste


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jan 2016 9:45 pm    
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I use the pigtronix philosophers tone gold. You can get them from pro guitar shop. They have a germanium chip so they don't sound quite as brittle as the standard model.

It goes second in line after a Sarno Freeloader and I almost always have it on with the sustain knob at about 30% and the blend knob at about 70%. There is also a tone knob that boosts at 2k, which I usually have at about 50%. With those settings it is more felt than heard. I'm not looking to hear it in the attack at all. It is a "make it better" box, that adds a bit of hair, sustain, and excitement to the signal.

When I am looking for a dirty sound I'll dial up the grit knob for some saturation, but I find that I also need at least one additional layer of overdrive to get me there. I would miss the grit feature if it wasn't there however and wouldn't mind someday picking up a super rare philosopher's twin, which is the same pedal with a switch for the grit knob.

If I'm going for a more traditional sound with lots of attack and clarity I will disengage the pedal, but most of the stuff I do is atmospheric alt country singer/songwriter stuff and for that stuff the PT is my desert island effect for sure. It really sings going in to a tube amp.

I used to use a two knob Keeley for a time and I found it to be way too intense and audible for my taste, though I never wired it up after the vol pedal and would be interested in how that felt. But over all I think most guitar compressors are pretty much eclipsed by the Philosopher's Tone gold, at least for me.
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Dustin Rhodes


From:
Owasso OK
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2016 7:37 am    
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I think a lot of steel players would do better with higher end bass compressors than most guitar comps. Guitar oriented OTA based compressors tend to not be great with wide frequency ranges. I think a lot of guys would have a different opinion if they'd play through a nice VCA or FET comp instead of something based on a dynacomp or ross.

Also I'd recommend this site to anyone considering buying a comp or wanting to use one better. Compressors are highly highly variable in their action and that can make or break whether they're useful. Too many guys write them off after having tried basically the least useful version for their purposes.

http://www.ovnilab.com/
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chris ivey


From:
california (deceased)
Post  Posted 18 Jan 2016 1:41 pm    
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the coolest use for one is the way emmons got that sticky squishy sound on some tunes. probably a dynacomp. but then, he was talented.
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John Jeffries

 

From:
New Brunswick, Canada
Post  Posted 6 Jun 2016 5:10 am     Compressor
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I have had good luck with the Barber "Tone Press" compressor. It is a good quality parallel compressor which allows you to blend just the right of amount of compressed signal with the non-compressed signal, so you can "fine tune" the result & find just the right sound you are looking for.
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Dave Hopping


From:
Aurora, Colorado
Post  Posted 6 Jun 2016 9:48 am    
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I have a rack with an Alesis 3630 that I use at home,but haven't played it onstage in a couple of years.A little compression does smooth things out but the benefits are IMO too subtle for most live situations to justify carrying around another piece of gear
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Jack Stanton


From:
Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
Post  Posted 6 Jun 2016 10:07 am    
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Chris,
You mean like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKD_o4gbcSE
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James Winger

 

From:
Washington, USA
Post  Posted 4 Sep 2017 8:12 am    
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Stephen Williams wrote:

Wouldn't it be great to try out pedals/Fx on line? I mean send a file and have someone feed it into the box you are interested in. Alter knobs in real time or record it. The trick would be to have the dry sound at exactly the same volume as the effected sound. I imagine if it cost $5 to check out a box that you would never ever see in your local store it could be useful. Business idea?


Harmony Central used to have that type of service (though it was mainly for studio rack equipment)
in automated fashion - upload a file, and it would spit out the associated audio.

it was neat, I think maybe somewhat less useful for SOME instrument effects for a couple of reasons
-if it's something like a fuzzface or buffer, something just behind passive pickups, the pickup can actually be part of the circuit voicing
- done as a file, the player doesn't "play into" (adjust playing to fit the output)an effect.
I suppose the same thing goes for adjustment of overall signal chain too, but you can at least to to anticipate.

I still think it's useful and was really good for certain effects that aren't "core tone" like delays and reverbs where you want to hear the quality of the processing layered onto a relatively unchanged source signal
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James Winger

 

From:
Washington, USA
Post  Posted 4 Sep 2017 8:18 am    
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anybody try to TC Electronic "hypergrvity" compressor

now it's digital (I don't have a problem with that inherently, but it's more than a buffer with a non-linear gain structure for sure - so those using it as a little bit of a buffer might be hunting squirrel with an elephant gun)

specwise (and only specwise...can't comment beyond that myself), it's kind of neat b/c it has features like the "new york" style upward/parallel compression (ie dry mix) and multiband (3 band) compression is avaialable and fully programmable.

Basically you program the whole thing from your computer - load it onto the compressor and then use it as a stompbox with just the few knobs.

If the practice is as nifty as the concept remains to be heard I suppose

eh, just a thought - So many effects are tuned to 6 string electric guitar (or bass) that dealing with other instruments is always an interesting puzzle.
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Dustin Kleingartner


From:
Saint Paul MN, USA
Post  Posted 8 Sep 2017 12:58 pm    
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I haven't tried the TC Electronic Compressor, but the concept is intriguing, and I'm interested in hearing if anyone tries it. Looking at the picture, I notice that it has a "blend" knob, which others have said is a nice option on a compressor, and it seems that not many compressors have that.

I recently bought a Keeley 4-knob compressor. I like the sounds I can get with it, and I think it's a good compressor, but lately I've been leaving it at home. I'm back to a bare-bones setup (pedal steel to volume pedal to amp w/ reverb).

For awhile I was using a reverb stomp box and a compressor stomp box, and that can be annoying because the compressor needs to be before the volume pedal, and the verb needs to be after the volume pedal. These minor annoyances seem to add up when you have to cart your gear around to four different places each week. So I've been going without, and not missing it.
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Michael Heaphy

 

From:
New York, USA
Post  Posted 29 Dec 2017 7:44 am     Mr. Hayes and the Orange Squeezer
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Hey, Mr. Hayes,
I used that Orange Squeezer, as well and almost all the time. It was a bit of a pain getting those little tin wheels inside just right but when you did it was good to go and brightened the steel up, I thought. You had to avoid setting it too hot or it would just sound like a series of clicks from your metal picks..lol
The little toggle switches broke off several of mine and I would just throw them away and get another one. Now I see they go from about 200 to 300 dollars...YOW !!
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Larry Behm


From:
Mt Angel, Or 97362
Post  Posted 29 Dec 2017 8:31 am    
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I never play without it. I set my Zoom MS50G to the Opticomp setting, does not compress a lot and gives me a tone of sustain and body.
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 29 Dec 2017 9:28 am    
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The golden rule is that if anyone can hear a compressor, then it's being overcooked.

The idea of the steel guitar/volume pedal combination is to maximise sustain - if a compressor helps you to achieve that without drawing attention to itself, then fine. I use a little gentle compression after the pedal as something to push against, a habit I picked up as an engineer working vocals into a compressor.
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Brett Lanier

 

From:
Madison, TN
Post  Posted 29 Dec 2017 11:49 am    
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I use an Ego compressor. More as a vol boost/control though. The way I have it set you can't hear it squeeze, even if I dig in hard. It does bring lightly played stuff forward in a nice way too.

I tried the Union Tube & Transistor compressor recently and that was really nice. You can use it as a boost or compressor too. Based on an LA2A. If I wasn't already so used to the Ego I'd go with Union.
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David Mason


From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
Post  Posted 30 Dec 2017 12:37 am    
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Times change... I believe that some stompmeisters have figured out some secret magic... STUFF to do to the initial signal that then makes the AFFECTED tone more manageable. The reason I say this is because I have a newer Pigtronix Infinity looper and a TC Electronics Ditto X2 that just SOUND really peachy-keen. They've gone WAY beyond that tragic "Boss Pedal tone" that pretty much -queered- ahem, defined everything after it. I've been enamored with a 10-string Superslide, NO volume pedal, so, based on the above, I took a shot at a Pigtronix "Philospher's Tone Mini" which is a fine sounding compressor, it's got the blend control, it sounds good no matter WHAT you do to it. And I've been using Digitech modelers for years now and the neat-o thing there is that you CAN dial in just a bit of compression, or like, 15% of a chorus, or a really howling overdrive set to "7" out of "99" - a tiny weird halo, you can't quite place.

That "blend" option is the mighty be-all and end-all, the ANSWER to icky effects. And while I was very fond of the old DOD's - they used the boutique-y parts that a rebuilder would "fix" a Dynacomp with. But the shocking news is, 35 years later somebody's actually improved the sounds of their product! Whoah.

When the tweak-iness is upon me, I DO like to point out to the "purists" that: speakers ARE compressors. Tubes ARE compressors. Peavey amps with "DDT" are compressing ya... if you're going to use an amp "model" you NEED to add compression to be accurate, because amps compress like crazy. Your LIVING ROOM DRAPES are compressors.... the original grandpappa of compression is: THE HUMAN EAR! Wanna pop them suckers out and upgrade 'em? OLD AGE ITSELF IS A COMPRESSOR! Gaah! Grumble grumble, snork snork the old ones were better THUD.
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